Run or skip a risk
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday July 25, 2009
There's much more to physical education these days than long jump and laps of the oval, writes Kristie Kellahan. Self-confessed sports nut Nathan Brown couldn't be happier with his position as a personal development, health and physical education PDHPE teacher at Doonside Technical High. "I loved sport at school, I always play sport in my free time and now I teach it to the students as well," he says. In his year 8, 9, 10 and 11 classes, Brown encounters every level of motivation and ability."Some kids are really into sport, while others will do anything to get out of it. Then there are those who are willing to give it a go even though their ability level is not so high," he says.Part of Brown's role is adapting his teaching methods to suit individual students. "With the really motivated kids, you have to find a way to keep raising the bar for them to maintain their interest," he says. "And with those who have little or no interest in sport, it's my job to show them it can be fun."The issue of teen obesity is tackled in PDHPE classes through education and active involvement. "We have a wide range of weights and body types in our classes and some of the kids are overweight or obese," Brown says. "We try to give those students the experience of sport and how to be physically active as the best way to maintain a healthy weight."Brown, who says most overweight kids don't want to be "talked at", has seen some dramatic overhauls occur through gentle encouragement and consistent involvement in sport. He cites the example of one student who lost a significant amount of weight over a long period and is now competing at a state level in his chosen sport.He says PDHPE teachers are in the hot-seat to positively affect students' self-regard and attitude to health and fitness through the combination of physical activity and information about nutrition."One of the most rewarding things about being a teacher is seeing kids change their lives for the better and knowing you have had something to do with that."Through PDHPE, sport and lifestyle education, these kids can improve their health, self-esteem and confidence."At Balgowlah Boys High, Tom Mitchell teaches year 8 PDHPE. A component of the curriculum is the focus on all forms of risk-taking, including drugs, drink-driving and sex.Mitchell makes the point that year 8 students generally aged 13-14 are at an age when they're working out their own moral compass and trying on various versions of "wrong" and "right". They don't, in general, take kindly to being told what to do by teachers or parents. "There are all sorts of ways to teach about risk-taking and the least effective is probably writing notes on the board for them to copy down," Mitchell says. Instead, he leads role-play scenarios "so they'll think about the consequences of their actions", as well as presenting educational DVDs and interactive activities."Every individual student is different and there's no one correct answer to some of life's toughest questions," he says. "This part of PDHPE is about helping them work out the decision-making process for themselves, so they can apply it to the situations that will inevitably come up in their lives."Mitchell says he has a massive advantage in being a young teacher he's 22 as the students can relate to him in a more relaxed way. "Some of the year 12 students at the school now were in year 7 when I was in year 12 myself," he says. "Of course, they still show me respect as a teacher but I am also very approachable."In addition to the rigours of classroom practical work, Mitchell is active in coaching the football and basketball teams; tasks more often associated with the role of a PE teacher. Whether on or off the sports field, Mitchell says his greatest satisfaction comes from being around the kids. "They learn and change and grow so quickly," he says. "I just enjoy being part of that and helping them in some small way to develop."
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
